Scripps Research Translational Institute Collaborates with Seqster To Bring Genetic Risk Scores With Health Data

SAN DIEGO, Oct. 16, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Seqster, the leading consumer-centric health data management platform empowering employees, members, or patients to collect, own and share all of their health data, today announced a collaboration with Scripps Research Translational Institute ("SRTI"), creators of the MyGeneRank app at the 2018 American Society of Human Genetics Meeting. 

Scientists at the SRTI have developed a smartphone-powered research study that seeks to understand how receiving personal genetic risk information impacts health decisions. The MyGeneRank app allows individuals with genetic data from the consumer genomics company, 23andMe, to obtain an estimated genetic risk score for coronary artery disease (CAD). Surveys and digital health data will be used to determine if this information helped guide decision-making related to lifestyle modification and initiation of medications.

"While the risk of CAD can be estimated with MyGeneRank, the quality and the richness of the health and genetic data that goes into our risk calculation plays a pivotal role in putting the final risk score into context and making the result actionable," said Dr. Ali Torkamani, Director of Genomics at the Scripps Research Translational Institute, and Associate Professor, Integrative Structural and Computational Biology at Scripps Research leading the team behind MyGeneRank. "For example, genetic risks cannot be modified. However, individuals can offset much of their genetic risk for CAD by maintaining healthy lifestyle habits. With the integration of MyGeneRank with the Seqster platform, we combine the highest quality data with actionable information for users to engage with and learn from all in a secure privacy preserving manner."

"The big problem faced by consumer genomics is how do we make all of this data actionable," said Ardy Arianpour, CEO and Co-Founder of Seqster. "While people collect some health information on their smartphones, it is usually incomplete. Our collaboration with MyGeneRank will enable our users to collect crucial health data from across the large number of healthcare providers, fitness and wearable devices and combine that information with their 23andMe data thereby not only providing immediate information on cardiovascular risk, but also allowing our users to track and monitor their cardiovascular risk as they modify their fitness and diet."

About Seqster
Seqster, pronounced "seek-ster," is the first and only health data management platform that enables organizations to empower their employees, members, or patients to collect, own and share all of their health, DNA and fitness data in one HIPAA compliant secure digital platform. Seqster's platform currently connects users to more than 9300 healthcare providers covering 2000 hospitals, 8400 medical and specialty groups and 300 cancer center locations nationwide, with additional providers added daily.

Launched in February 2018, Seqster is privately held and headquartered in San Diego. For more information on Seqster and how we can bring health to your members, employees or patients, please visit www.seqster.com or follow @Seqster.

About Scripps Research
Scripps Research is ranked the most influential scientific institution in the world for its impact on innovation. A nonprofit research organization, Scripps expands basic knowledge in the biosciences and uses these fundamental advancements to develop profound innovations that improve well-being. Scripps researchers lead breakthrough studies that address the world's most pressing health concerns, accelerating the creation and delivery of medical breakthroughs to better human health across the globe. Our educational and training programs mold talented and committed students and postdocs into the next generation of leading scientists.

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